Immobilizing redox enzymes at mesoporous and nanostructured electrodes

Three key challenges are stimulating intensive research in the development of productive direct electron transfer mode enzyme electrodes: proper enzyme orientation, high enzyme loading, and full retention of enzyme activity. In this review, we summarize some significant advances that have been reported in the last years on the design of mesoporous and nanostructured electrodes as enzyme scaffolds and of innovative methodologies for wiring enzymes to electrodes. Particular attention is given to investigations on physical factors that determine a favorable enzyme immobilization, to provide rational guidelines for the design of productive enzymatic electrodes. Finally, some emerging trends focused on the spatial organization of either single enzymes or enzyme cascades are also briefly addressed.     

Simple, expedient methods for the determination of water and electrolyte contents of cellulose solvent systems

The concentrations of water, W, and electrolytes present in solutions of LiCl in N,N-dimethylacetamide, LiCl/DMAc, and of tetrabutylammonium fluoride. x-hydrate in DMSO, TBAF.xW/DMSO can be accurately and expediently determined by three independent methods, UV–vis, FTIR and EMF measurement. The first relies on the use of solvatochromic probes whose spectra are sensitive to solution composition. It is applicable to W/LiCl/DMAc solutions but not to TBAF.xW/DMSO, because the charge-transfer complex bands of the probes are suppressed by strong interactions with the latter electrolyte. Integration of ν_OH band of water may be employed in order to determine [W], hence [electrolyte] by weight difference. EMF measurement uses ion-selective electrodes in order to determine [electrolyte], hence [W] by weight difference. Results of the latter method were in excellent agreement with those of FTIR. The reason for the failure of Karl Fischer titration is addressed, and the relevance of the results obtained to functionalization of cellulose under homogenous solution conditions is briefly commented on.     

Chalcogenide based all-solid-state thin electroplated ion-selective membrane for Hg(II) flow-injection determinations

The response to Hg(II) of a thin all-solid-state Te-doped silver chalcogenide membrane, described by the general formula Ag₂ + δSe_{1 − x}Te_x, which has been electrochemically prepared following a previously proposed approach, has been investigated. The kinetics of formation of the membrane's secondary dynamic response to Hg(II) has been successfully combined with the precise timing and transient signal, typical for flow-injection (FI) measurements, in developing a sensitive and reliable mercury FI detector. Under optimized stream conditions it exhibits a linear Nernstian response, with a double slope of the calibration graph of 59 mV dec⁻¹, over the mercury(II) concentration range 10⁻⁶ − 10⁻³ M, the typical sample throughput amounting to about 70 samples per hour. The observed chemical amplification of the signal is due to the specificity of the processes dominating the initial step in formation of the steady-state signal of the membrane to mercury. The analytical performance of the Hg(II) FI detector, as regards sensitivity, reproducibility, selectivity and long-term stability has been thoroughly investigated. The exact procedure for membrane electrodeposition is given and the potential of the proposed approach as a cost-effective way for preparing chalcogenides of unique structure and properties has been outlined in the above context.     

Bi12TiO20纳米粉体的制备及其光吸收特性研究

以钛酸四丁酯和硝酸铋为原料 ,利用化学溶液分解法制备了Bi12 TiO2 0 纳米多晶粉体 .采用XRD和TEM对其结构和形貌进行了表征 .结合热重 差热 (TG DTA)分析 ,探讨了Bi12 TiO2 0 晶相的形成机理 .通过UV Vis漫反射谱的测定 ,研究了Bi12 TiO2 0 纳米晶粉体的光吸收特性 .结果显示 ,从组成为化学计量比的前驱液中可以很容易制得纯Bi12 TiO2 0 纳米晶粉体 ,该Bi12 TiO2 0 纳米晶粉体呈现了在很宽的波长范围内 (5 6 0～ 385nm )对光的吸收的特性 .     

枸橼酸铋制剂中铋元素的溶出量分析

微波消解溶样，ICP—AES法测定了枸橼酸铋制剂中铋元素的含量及其在人工胃液和人工肠液中的溶出量。结果表明，枸橼酸铋制剂中的铋元素在人工肠液中的溶出量明显高于人工胃液。方法的检出限为12ng／mL，相对标准偏差(n=7)为3．84％。     

The first bismuth(III)-catalyzed guanylation of thioureas

This work describes the first catalytic bismuth-promoted synthesis of polysubstituted guanidines in good yields through the guanylation reaction of N-benzoyl or N-phenylthioureas with primary and secondary amines, but now employing equimolar amounts of each organic reagent. Both bismuth iodine and bismuth nitrate were efficient as inorganic thiophiles at only 5 mol % in relation to substrates, being the first example of inorganic thiophiles acting in guanylation at catalytic levels.     

Effect of surfactants on the voltammetric response and determination of an antihypertensive drug

The effect of adding surface-active agents to electrolytes containing terazosin, an antihypertensive drug, on the voltammetric response of glassy carbon electrode was studied. The current signal due to the oxidation process was a function of the amount of terazosin, pH of the medium, type of surfactant, and accumulation time at the electrode surface. Two surfactants were used, an anionic type, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and a cationic type, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). Addition of SDS to the terazosin-containing electrolyte was found to enhance the oxidation current signal while CTAB showed an opposite effect. Beside the interfacial interaction of the surfactant with the electrode surface in reference to the bias applied potential and the charge of surfactant, terazosin-surfactant interaction in the electrolytic solution was found to be critical to the magnitude of current signal. Addition of SDS to terazosin-containing buffer solution resulted in a decrease in the drug absorption spectrum both in the ultra-violet and visible (UV-vis) regions. Moreover, NMR measurements showed considerable chemical shifts for the aromatic protons of the quinazolinyl moiety of the terazosin in presence of SDS. The affected aromatic protons are positioned next to the interacting protonated amino-group of the terazosin with the charged sulfonate-group of SDS. On the other hand, addition of CTAB did not cause noticeable changes both to the UV-vis and NMR spectra of the drug. The use of SDS in the electrochemical determination of terazosin using linear sweep voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry at solid glassy carbon electrode enhanced the detection limit from 6.00 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ in absence of surfactant to 4.58 × 10⁻⁹ mol L⁻¹ when present. The validity of using this method in the determination of drug active ingredient in urine samples and tablet formulations was also demonstrated.     

Production of carbon soot with a high content of C60 and C70 fullerenes by electric arc

The effect of the parameters of the electric arc (helium pressure, current and voltage, clearance between electrodes) and of the peculiarities of the setup design (arrangement of electrodes, distance between the arc and the cooling surface, temperature of the soot condensation surface) on the yield of fullerenes has been studied. Conditions for producing soot with a C₆₀ and C₇₀ content up to 43% (toluene extract) have been found.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 805–809, May, 1994.The authors are grateful to N. G. Spitsyna and A. V. Dubovitskii for the determination of the content of C₆₀ and C₇₀ fullerenes in the extract.The work was financially supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project 93-03-18705).     

Recognition of Monohydrogen Anions of Geometrical and Positional Isomers of Dicarboxylic Acids Based on Polymeric Liquid Membranes Incorporating Polyamine Host

Macrocyclic lipophilic polyamines were applied as the sensory elements of polymeric liquid membrane electrodes. These hosts gain the anion receptor functionality upon protons uptake from the aqueous solutions. The electrodes studied were able to distinguish potentiometricaly isomers of monocharged and doublecharged forms of ethylene and benzene dicarboxylic acids. The selectivity of interaction between protonated hosts and anionic guests relays not only on the electrostatic interactions, but on hydrogen bounds formations as well. The influence of lipophilicity of protonated hosts on the potential response generation was discussed.